posted on June 19, 2008 05:21:02 PM new
Everyone: I'm facing this mandatory shipping charge that eBay will be insisting on very soon. I have *never* done anything like that, or used calculated shipping, etc., and I need a quick tutorial OR someone to steer me to where the information can be had. I dread trying to search on the vast eBay site first.
I've always listed the shipping charge in the auction description (for media mail items), or given the packed item weight for priority etc.
I know this is coming, and it scares me. ~Adele
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posted on June 19, 2008 05:37:08 PM new
I'm may not be the best one to reply as I'm struggling with this myself - but I do have a few ideas.
Are you concerned about new listings or story inventory?
First of all do you use Vendio? If you do I just notice that you can use UPS calculated shipping and I may try that for larger items. Vendio's calculator works pretty well for your normal priority mail. If you use Vendio and don't always ship the same method you may have to manually change it every time.
I'm am also pulling everything from my store a few at a time - sending them to auction but editing the shipping first. If they don't sell at a lower price I may donate them but if not, at least the shipping will be OK.
Pixiamom started a post about bulk editing - you may want to check that out as well.
What type of items do you sell and do you have a large store inventory?
posted on June 19, 2008 06:10:52 PM new
I list through Vendio and use the calculated shipping options.
I have my defaults set to come up with the calculated options that I use on the create listing page.
Also, I have unchecked defaults in place for flat rate packages, so I just have to add the check mark if the item will fit flat rate.
Just go to the "Global Preferences" section on your Account page. It is really self-explanatory. Just a matter of filling in the fields with the options you may use.
You can also set the page to combine shipping automatically.
With my items I often need to manually adjust the shipping weight after the sale if there are multiple auctions won, but that is just the way I work.
I state the following in my auctions.
"Winning bidder pays
shipping and handling
based on calculated packed weight
and USPS shipping zone.
(Calculator below.)"
I was hesitant to go to calculated at one time, but after a few postal increases and huge differences in zone shipping, it really became neccessary. Once I took the step, I found it to be a simple operating procedure. Nothing to fear.
posted on June 19, 2008 06:30:10 PM new
The thing that got me: not only do you need to fill out the shipping carriers and fixed or calculated shipping charges, in Vendio you also have to check the tiny box for: I am specifying shipping costs for eBay checkout.
[ edited by pixiamom on Jun 19, 2008 06:30 PM ]
posted on June 19, 2008 06:52:34 PM new
I feel for all of us having to do this, especially Canadians using the US site. It makes it twice or three times as complicated. I am tearing my hair out. On top of that, I sell yarn by the skein, so when someone bids on 10 skeins, it multiplies the shipping by 10, and I don't know how to change that.
posted on June 19, 2008 09:00:26 PM new
amber,
In the Vendio shipping under "Other Shipping Settings", the first
section is "Combined Shipping Discount" and you can put in either a per centage or a dollar amount off of the shipping for each additional item.
Wouldn't this help solve the number of skein problem?
posted on June 19, 2008 10:43:11 PM new
I appreciate everyone's help here! Starting with the first questions: I list on eBay through Vendio. I don't have a store on Vendio or eBay.
I sell a wide variety of books and collectibles. More books lately than anything else.
Now I'll read the rest of the suggestions. ~Adele
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posted on June 20, 2008 05:11:55 AM new
wgonzales: Thanks, I wish that would help. I don't think that would work. My biggest problem is selling withing Canada because I sell on the US site. I don't have the option to use a shipping tool because my only option is USPS, and I mail using Canada Post. I am sure there are going to be many Canadians selling on the US site with the same problem. I asked about putting my store onto the Canadian site, but I was told that each listing would have to be deleted, and then done from scratch, can't relist them, and there is no way I want to relist all those auctions!
I was told that a lot of yarn sellers have complained about the problem of multiple postage rates coming up, and they are "looking into it".
posted on June 20, 2008 06:11:46 AM new
Adele - do you have to calculate media mail too or is every package the same?
If all your listing are a different weight - then just set everything up for calculated. Then you can just switch from media to priority depending on what you are listing. Be sure to put the size in on priority if it's a larger item.
Like Susan said it's all set up in your Global Preferences but it's not written in stone so you can change it every time. The preferences should be set to your most used settings.
Also you don't have to do anything with combined shipping. I don't on one of my ID's but do on my other as I sell different stuff on each. On the one that I do not use auto-combine - I just have it in my instructions that "Due to the nature of my items, I manually combine after the auction"
I know it's scary at first but I think you will find that in the long run it will save you time if you just use calcalated shipping.
I use SMPro so if you do, I can help there as well.
posted on June 20, 2008 08:53:14 AM new
Thanks, ladyjewels! My media mail packages go for the same rate anywhere in the U.S.; I figure the cost plus 50 cents or so over, and that's what I've been quoting in my auction descriptions. Is that what you meant?
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posted on June 20, 2008 09:36:37 AM new
Yes - so you are basely doing a media fixed rate. Only it's not shown in searches as you are doing it outside the system (or in your listing description).
Which do you do the most - media or priority?
If it's media and your total charges are $2.00 including 50 cent mark up - then you want to set it at $2.00 (this would be fixed price shipping in Global Preferences) - media mail. You can still state what your mark up is in the listing if you want.
Then if you do a priority calculated - just put in the weight, size etc. You will need to change the fixed price pre-set to calculated and Vendio won't let you launch it if you didn't make the needed change. I'm pretty sure it works that way listing on line or SMPro.
For example under my jewelry ID I use $2.00 fixed rate 1st class but if I do a large lot of jewelry - I change it to priority calculated.
I know it sounds harder than it is.
Try a few and let us know.
